To Alfred Sully1Jump to section
Davenport, Iowa. Washington, Nov. 19. 1864.
Let the Indian ``Big Eagle'' be discharged. I ordered this some time ago. A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ALS, DNA WR RG 107, Presidential Telegrams, I, 243. See Lincoln's order of October 26, supra. On November 14, 1864, George S. C. Dow, a lawyer and banker of Davenport, Iowa, wrote Lincoln:
``You will remember me as the person to whom you were kind enough to give an order for the release of the Indian `Big Eagle.'
``This order failed to effect his release. The person in charge and to whom I presented it, treated me very rudely. I may as well say that he insulted me most grossly. He treated also the order and yourself with great contempt because as he said, you ought to know better than to write an order in pencil, or give it to a civilian.
``I did not intend to trouble you again, but for reasons not necessary to be stated, I think I should report the facts to you, and request of you, that you will be kind enough to direct a note to the proper military officer, requesting him to issue the proper order for `Big Eagle's' discharge. . . .'' (DLC-RTL).
General Alfred Sully was in command of the District of Iowa with headquarters at Davenport, from August, 1864, through April, 1865, but no reply from any officer at Davenport has been found. On December 3, 1864, AGO Special Orders No. 430, directed that ```Big Eagle,' an Indian, now in confinement at Davenport, Iowa, will, upon the receipt of this Order, be immediately released from confinement and set at liberty.''